How To Downgrade iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad And Apple TV: Everything You Need To Know

In this you will learn how to downgrade your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Apple TV with a lower firmware version (e.g. iOS 9, iOS 8, iOS 7, iOS 6, iOS 5 etc.) compared to one you're currently running. Additionally, additionally, you will learn the best way to save your SHSH blobs that can allow you to definitely downgrade your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Apple TV firmware version down the road. Simply scroll through our How To Downgrade section for that firmware version you are trying to downgrade to, and focus one of our easy to follow how you can guides on downgrading your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Apple TV and even PlayStation.

Note #1: This is not some magical area of guides that will allow you to downgrade your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Apple TV 2G not having your SHSH blobs saved for prior firmware versions. Meaning you needed to have saved your SHSH blobs to the firmware version you happen to be trying to downgrade to, or downgrading is not going to work.

Note #2: We will likely be updating this page with the latest the way to downgrade guides when new firmware versions are released, so ensure you come back soon!

How Apple Prevents Downgrading

Downgrading your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to a lower firmware version is indeed possible, however has become more and more difficult over the years. In the early days you might downgrade your iOS device to your firmware version you desired to and not run into many troubles. This is because firmware restores never had to become approved by Apple, but beginning with iOS 3.0 onwards Apple implemented a technology called SHSH blob.

What Is An SHSH Blob,

You see, whenever you restore your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad through iTunes your device phones home and ensures that it is allowed to get restored to your specific firmware version. In order to enforce this limitation SHSH blobs were introduced, the industry hash signature system. Although this is getting technical, an SHSH is created by an SHSH formula with 3 or 4 TSS keys (say with me at night).

The device model (example: iPhone 4 GSM)

The firmware version being signed (example: 6.0.1)

The device's ECID, an exceptional identifier for each Apple device.

On every device shipped by Apple a Plist file exists, this file contains SHSH blobs for various parts of the firmware. These blobs are essentially gatekeepers and control if a firmware is restorable. Whenever you upgrade or downgrade your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, new SHSH blobs have to become generated because one of several parts on the SHSH formula will be the firmware version.

In order to stop firmware restores Apple only signs one firmware version during a period, that is obviously the most up-to-date firmware version available. If you attempt to restore to some lower firmware version, you're going to get an error because Apple is not signing that specific firmware version anymore. What is happening is Apple refuses to generate the newest hash through the downgrade, meaning the modern SHSH blobs is not generated.

What Is An APTicket,

In case this wasn't a large enough limitation to downgrading iOS devices, in the iOS 5 firmware generation Apple introduced another technology in order to avoid downgrading called APTickets. What APTickets are is actually the next generation of SHSH blobs. APTickets tend to be more secure however, because when you try to restore or upgrade your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad a request is shipped to Apple's servers to make sure that the APTicket. Unlike SHSH blobs which could submit the same one already stored around the server, a new APTicket is generated by using a random string. In the future APTickets will completely replace SHSH blobs, this will happen when the iPhone 4S stops being supported.

How To Go About Downgrading

The a valuable thing is there is actually still ways to downgrade your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and even Apple TV, however it relies on you saving SHSH blobs. You see, when Apple is still signing a firmware version you save the SHSH signature so that down the road if you wish to downgrade returning to that firmware version it is definitely possible. This is actually performing a replay attack, in the fact that information is being fraudulently retransmitted.

If you might be Jailbroken then most often your SHSH blobs are actually saved on Cydia's server automatically so you shouldn't have to back them up manually. Sometimes Cydia doesn't back your SHSH blobs on the Jailbroken device however, so you might even prefer to do an area backup of your respective SHSH blobs. To do this you should use tools like TinyUmbrella ( download ) and iFaith ( download ). It is important to remember that these tools can also save the SHSH blobs of non-Jailbroken devices.

Once you've your SHSH blobs signed, mentionened above previously previously, if you upgrade to a new firmware version and judge you don't enjoy it you can downgrade back to the firmware version which you've saved SHSH blobs for. There is unfortunately some restrictions that need to get kept in mind though.

iOS Downgrading Restrictions

For the most part, older iOS devices with the A4 chip may be downgraded to any firmware version as long as you've saved SHSH blobs and APTickets. This includes the iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 1G, iPod Touch 1G, iPod Touch 2G, iPod Touch 3G as well as the iPod Touch 4G.

Newer devices just like the iPad 2, iPad 3, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPod Touch 5G has different restrictions however, as they are not vulnerable towards the limera1n exploit and are governed more-so by APTickets. These devices are only able to be downgraded around the iOS 5 firmware generation and require saved SHSH blobs and APTickets for that iOS 5 firmware version you're currently running and therefore are trying to get to. The only exception to the is that iPad 2 owners with any saved iOS 4 firmware generation SHSH blobs can downgrade to to your firmware they also have saved SHSH blobs for. Downgrading devices with all the A5, A5X and A6 chip on the iOS 6 firmware generation is just not possible at the moment.

Just like how Jailbreaking is becoming more and more very challenging to newer Apple devices, same goes with downgrading. As new exploits are constantly being found however, monitor our list of the way to guides shown below that may give you step-by-step instructions on the best way to downgrade your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Apple TV to some lower firmware version. If you are looking for more information on how to save SHSH blobs and APTickets you should visit our How To Save SHSH Blobs section.

Note: Keep in your mind that in case you find a guide for the previous firmware version , nor see one to your current situation, more often than not these guides are all-purpose. This means that the instructions are the same for all firmware versions, so you can usually just follow the instructions and just utilize firmware versions for the current situation.

How To Downgrade

How To Re-Restore A5 Devices On iOS 5.x

Jaden says

HenryBur says

happy helper says

Elijah says

What about downgrading from IOs6.1.3

i hav an iphone 3GS and iv been around forums and tutorials without having result

i also tried downgradin via ifaith et iReb mais mon iphone a été bloqué et j'ai revenu au Ios6.1.3.

Y'a t'il une solution,

suneth says

i make an effort to several time

but error 3194

Thanks a good deal iam. waiting an answer

kr says

Ishan Majumdar says

Jannon says

Harsh says

ste says

saravanavivek says

Kjell widar says

I use a iPhone 5s iOS 9.3.2

Can i downgread it to iOS 9.0.2 possibly even i can Jailbreak it ,

Pauli says

T.M GAMINI NISHSHANKA BANDARA says

Max Moreira says

1. Is there a means to do downgrade to 7.1.2,

2. Or perhaps there is a way to install WhatsApp on iOS 6.1.3, I've already tried getting it from AppCake and inatallation with AppSync the app won't even open. I tried changing the ProductVersion on the SystemVersion.plist to 7.1.2, even changed my date to 2016 plus it just won't open.

Please inform me.. I do come with an iPhone 6S but I just don't want it like my beautiful 4S

Leave a Reply

Comment

Name

Email

Website

Follow Our How To Guides